Shakespeare Word List

AgincourtMedium

ClueBattle where Henry V's army defeats the French

ExplanationThe English king speaks to his soldiers before the fighting. The victory leads toward a negotiated peace and royal marriage.

AlbanyMedium

ClueGoneril's husband, who turns against her cruelty

ExplanationHe is one of the dukes in the divided kingdom. He later condemns the treatment of the old king.

AliceHard

ClueAttendant who helps the French princess learn English

ExplanationHer lesson turns familiar body words into comic misunderstandings. She also assists the royal courtship.

AlonsoMedium

ClueKing of Naples who fears his son drowned in The Tempest

ExplanationThe shipwreck separates him from Ferdinand. He later discovers both the son and his promised bride alive.

AngeloMedium

ClueDeputy who demands Isabella's submission to spare her brother

ExplanationHe enforces laws he cannot honor himself. A substituted partner exposes his hypocrisy.

AnneMedium

ClueWidow whom Richard woos beside her father-in-law's corpse

ExplanationShe initially curses him. The scene dramatizes his ability to use persuasion against justified hostility.

AntonioMedium

ClueMerchant whose loan bond threatens a pound of flesh

ExplanationHe borrows to help a friend pursue an heiress. Reports of lost ships place his life at risk.

AntonyMedium

ClueRoman who turns Caesar's funeral crowd against the conspirators

ExplanationHis speech uses the body and the will to change public opinion. He later fights the assassins at Philippi.

ArdenMedium

ClueForest where Rosalind lives as Ganymede

ExplanationExile brings courtiers into contact with shepherds. Several romances are resolved before the return to court.

ArielEasy

ClueSpirit who serves Prospero and seeks freedom

ExplanationThe magician rescued this spirit from imprisonment in a tree. Freedom is promised for completing the work.

AthensMedium

ClueCity ruled by Theseus in the fairy comedy

ExplanationA parental demand for marriage sends young lovers into the woods. The final celebrations return to the duke's court.

AudreyMedium

ClueGoat-keeper whom Touchstone courts

ExplanationHer rustic romance contrasts with the aristocratic love stories. She joins the final group of marrying couples.

AutolycusHard

ClueRogue and ballad-seller in The Winter's Tale

ExplanationHe steals from travelers and uses disguises. His opportunism also brings him near the royal recognition.

BanquoMedium

ClueScottish warrior whose descendants are promised kingship

ExplanationHis son escapes the killers sent after them. His ghost later disturbs the royal banquet.

BaptistaHard

ClueFather who requires Katherine to marry before Bianca

ExplanationHis rule complicates the younger daughter's courtship. Several suitors therefore support a match for the elder sister.

BardolphHard

ClueFalstaff's red-nosed companion in the history plays

ExplanationHe follows the tavern circle into military life. In Henry V, looting leads to his execution.

BassanioMedium

ClueSuitor who chooses the lead casket and wins Portia

ExplanationHe borrows through his merchant friend to pursue the heiress. His choice rejects the more glittering alternatives.

BearEasy

ClueAnimal in the famous exit direction for Antigonus

ExplanationThe creature pursues the courtier after he leaves the infant. A shepherd then finds and raises the child.

BeatriceEasy

ClueSharp-tongued niece of Leonato who trades wit with Benedick

ExplanationFriends trick her into believing he loves her. The later accusation against Hero tests their growing bond.

BelariusHard

ClueExiled nobleman who raises Cymbeline's stolen sons

ExplanationThe boys live under assumed names in Wales. His confession later restores them to their father.

BelmontMedium

CluePortia's estate, home of the three-casket test

ExplanationThe heiress's suitors must choose among three containers. The final scene returns here after the trial.

BenedickEasy

ClueBachelor who exchanges verbal barbs with Beatrice

ExplanationAn overheard conversation tricks him into admitting affection. He later agrees to challenge Claudio.

BenvolioMedium

ClueMontague cousin who tries to keep the peace

ExplanationHe attempts to break up the opening street fight. He later reports the fatal duels to the prince.

BiancaMedium

ClueWoman in Othello who is attached to Cassio

ExplanationShe is asked to copy the handkerchief's embroidery. Her appearance helps Iago manipulate what the general sees.

BirnamMedium

ClueWood whose branches disguise Malcolm's approaching soldiers

ExplanationThe army uses boughs to conceal its numbers. This tactic fulfills the apparent movement promised by the prophecy.

BohemiaMedium

CluePolixenes's kingdom, where Perdita grows up

ExplanationThe play imagines it with a seacoast. A sheep-shearing festival becomes the setting for the young lovers' conflict.

BorachioHard

ClueDon John's follower who stages the false evidence against Hero

ExplanationHe uses an encounter with Margaret to mislead observers. His later boast is overheard by the watch.

BosworthMedium

ClueBattlefield where Richmond defeats Richard III

ExplanationThe final battle ends the usurper's reign. The victor's planned marriage is presented as a settlement between rival houses.

BottomEasy

ClueWeaver transformed with an ass's head in the woodland comedy

ExplanationHe plays Pyramus in the craftsmen's performance. The fairy queen falls for him while enchanted.

BrabantioMedium

ClueDesdemona's father, who protests her marriage

ExplanationHe is a Venetian senator. His accusation brings the couple before the duke.

BrutusMedium

ClueRoman conspirator who joins Cassius against Caesar

ExplanationHe presents the assassination as a defense of Rome. His decision to permit the funeral speech proves costly.

CalibanEasy

ClueIsland inhabitant who plots with Stephano against Prospero

ExplanationHe is the son of Sycorax. His attempt to replace one master with another goes badly.

CalphurniaMedium

ClueCaesar's wife, whose dream warns of his death

ExplanationShe urges him to stay home. A different interpretation of the dream persuades him to go out.

CamilloHard

ClueCourtier who helps Polixenes escape Leontes

ExplanationHe refuses to carry out a murderous command. His later planning helps the young lovers leave Bohemia.

CapuletMedium

ClueFamily name of Romeo's secret wife

ExplanationIts household hosts the feast where the lovers meet. The father later presses his daughter to marry Paris.

CascaMedium

ClueConspirator who reports Caesar's refusal of the crown

ExplanationHe describes the public ceremony to the other senators. He is later among the assassins.

CasketsMedium

ClueThree containers offered to Portia's suitors

ExplanationThey are made of gold, silver and lead. The successful suitor chooses the least glittering one.

CassioMedium

ClueLieutenant whom Iago draws into a drunken fight

ExplanationHe loses his position after the disturbance. Attempts to regain it are misrepresented as an affair.

CassiusMedium

ClueConspirator who recruits Brutus against the Roman ruler

ExplanationHe distrusts the growing personal power of Caesar. Misreading the battle at Philippi leads to his death.

CatesbyHard

ClueSir William who serves Richard III and tests Hastings's loyalty

ExplanationHe carries messages for the aspiring king. His conversations help identify resistance to the new regime.

CeliaMedium

ClueRosalind's cousin, who takes the name Aliena

ExplanationShe chooses exile with her friend rather than comfort at court. She later pairs with Oliver.

CesarioMedium

ClueName used by Viola while serving Orsino

ExplanationThe disguise attracts Olivia's affection. The heroine's twin is then mistaken for this apparent young man.

CharmianHard

ClueCleopatra's attendant whose name begins Ch

ExplanationShe remains with the queen in the final scene. She also dies after applying an asp.

CiceroMedium

ClueRoman senator and orator appearing in Julius Caesar

ExplanationHe discusses the strange omens. The conspirators decide not to recruit him into their plan.

CinnaHard

ClueSurname shared by a conspirator and a poet attacked by the mob

ExplanationThe poet is mistaken for the assassin. His attempt to explain the difference does not save him.

ClarenceMedium

ClueDuke and royal brother drowned in a wine butt in Richard III

ExplanationHis dream foreshadows his death. Murderers kill him while he is imprisoned in the Tower.

ClaudioMedium

ClueYoung Florentine lord engaged to Hero

ExplanationHe is misled into accusing his bride. A second wedding reveals that the supposedly dead woman is alive.

ClaudiusMedium

ClueUncle who takes the Danish throne and marries Gertrude

ExplanationHe has murdered his brother. The visiting players' performance exposes his guilty reaction.

CleopatraMedium

ClueEgyptian queen whose romance divides a Roman ruler's loyalties

ExplanationHer relationship with Antony intertwines politics and desire. She chooses death rather than a Roman triumphal display.

ClotenHard

ClueSon of Cymbeline's queen, who pursues Imogen

ExplanationHe wears her husband's clothes while seeking her. Guiderius kills him in their confrontation.

CordeliaEasy

ClueYoungest royal daughter who refuses to flatter her father

ExplanationHer restrained declaration costs her inheritance. She later returns with a French army.

CorinHard

ClueOlder shepherd who speaks with Touchstone in Arden

ExplanationHe offers a practical view of rural life. His conversation contrasts country work with the fool's verbal games.

CornwallMedium

ClueRegan's husband, who orders Gloucester's blinding

ExplanationA servant resists the violence and wounds him. The duke dies from that injury.

CymbelineMedium

ClueBritish king whose daughter secretly marries Posthumus

ExplanationFamily conflict and war with Rome intersect in his story. The ending restores his lost sons.

CyprusMedium

ClueIsland to which Othello and Desdemona travel

ExplanationA storm removes the Turkish military threat. The island then becomes the setting for the ensign's domestic deception.

DaggerEasy

ClueWeapon Macbeth imagines before murdering Duncan

ExplanationThe vision points toward the sleeping king. The scene makes intention and hallucination difficult to separate.

DeciusHard

ClueConspirator who reinterprets Calphurnia's dream to persuade Caesar

ExplanationHe argues that the dream signals honor rather than danger. His persuasion helps bring Caesar to the Senate.

DemetriusMedium

ClueAthenian suitor who finally pairs with Helena

ExplanationAt first he pursues Hermia. The enchanted flower changes his affection during the woodland confusion.

DenmarkEasy

ClueCountry whose prince seeks revenge against his uncle

ExplanationThe royal court's corruption drives the tragedy. A Norwegian prince takes control after the final deaths.

DesdemonaEasy

ClueBrabantio's daughter, falsely accused of betraying her husband

ExplanationShe marries the general despite her father's opposition. A misplaced handkerchief is used against her.

DogberryMedium

ClueMessina's constable, famous for verbal blunders

ExplanationHis watch uncovers the deception behind the wedding accusation. His confused language does not prevent a real discovery.

DonalbainMedium

ClueDuncan's younger son, who flees to Ireland

ExplanationHis brother goes to England. Their separate escapes follow the discovery of their father's murder.

Don JohnMedium

ClueDon Pedro's brother who plots to ruin Hero's wedding

ExplanationHe uses false appearances to persuade the groom. His plan is eventually exposed through the watch.

Don PedroMedium

CluePrince of Aragon who helps arrange Claudio's courtship

ExplanationHe also assists the trick played on the witty pair. His brother works against the marriages.

DuncanMedium

ClueScottish king murdered while visiting a thane's castle

ExplanationHis sons flee after his death. The murder allows their host to seize the throne.

DunsinaneMedium

ClueCastle stronghold toward which Birnam Wood seems to move

ExplanationThe ruler trusts a prophecy about the approaching wood. Branches carried by soldiers make the warning appear fulfilled.

EdgarMedium

ClueGloucester's legitimate son, disguised as Poor Tom

ExplanationHis brother's plot forces him into hiding. In disguise, he guides his blinded father.

EdmundMedium

ClueGloucester's illegitimate son, who plots against his brother

ExplanationHe forges a letter to undermine the rightful heir. His ambition also turns against his father.

ElbowHard

ClueConstable with a body-part name in Measure for Measure

ExplanationHis verbal mistakes confuse an investigation. His scenes turn law enforcement into comedy.

ElsinoreMedium

ClueCastle setting of Hamlet's Danish court

ExplanationThe opening watch encounters a ghost. The play's court ceremonies and deadly final duel also take place here.

EmiliaMedium

ClueIago's wife, who exposes the handkerchief deception

ExplanationShe attends Desdemona and unknowingly helps the plot. Her final testimony contradicts her husband.

EnobarbusHard

ClueAntony's companion who regrets deserting him

ExplanationHe changes sides as the war turns. His former commander's generosity deepens his remorse.

ErosHard

ClueAntony's servant who kills himself rather than his master

ExplanationHis refusal gives his commander an example of self-inflicted death. The commander then tries to follow it.

EscalusMedium

CluePrince of Verona who threatens punishment for street fighting

ExplanationHe tries to curb the feud between two houses. His judgment later banishes the young Montague.

FabianHard

ClueMember of Olivia's household who joins the prank on Malvolio

ExplanationHe helps watch the forged letter being found. He later explains how the trick was arranged.

FalstaffEasy

ClueBoastful knight and tavern companion of Prince Hal

ExplanationHe pretends to die in battle. He then claims credit for killing the prince's defeated rival.

FerdinandMedium

ClueAlonso's son, who courts Miranda on the island

ExplanationBelieving his father drowned, he follows mysterious music. His marriage helps reconcile the ruling families.

FesteMedium

ClueOlivia's jester, who sings at the end of Twelfth Night

ExplanationHis songs punctuate the comedy. He also impersonates a priest during the steward's imprisonment.

FleanceMedium

ClueBanquo's son, who escapes an attempted murder

ExplanationHis survival leaves the prophecy about his father's descendants unresolved within the play.

FlorizellMedium

ClueBohemian prince who falls in love with Perdita

ExplanationHis father's opposition sends the couple toward Sicilia. Their flight helps bring the divided families together.

FluellenHard

ClueWelsh captain who makes Pistol eat a leek

ExplanationHe values military discipline and Welsh honor. The leek episode follows an insult to his national custom.

FluteHard

ClueBellows-mender assigned to play Thisbe

ExplanationHe initially objects to playing a woman. His role belongs to the craftsmen's amateur tragedy.

FortinbrasMedium

ClueNorwegian prince who claims Denmark's crown at Hamlet's end

ExplanationThe dying Danish prince supports his succession. He orders military honors for the dead prince.

GertrudeMedium

ClueQueen of Denmark who drinks from a poisoned cup

ExplanationShe is the prince's mother. The drink intended for her son kills her during the fencing match.

GlendowerHard

ClueWelsh rebel who claims to command spirits

ExplanationHe joins the plan to divide the kingdom. His grand claims provoke Hotspur's skepticism.

GloucesterMedium

ClueEarl blinded after helping the old king in Lear

ExplanationHe misjudges his sons' loyalty. After losing his sight, he is guided by the son he had rejected.

GonerilMedium

ClueLear's eldest daughter, wife of Albany

ExplanationShe professes lavish love to obtain her share. Once powerful, she limits her father's household.

GonzaloMedium

ClueKind counselor who supplied books to the exiled Prospero

ExplanationHe helped father and daughter survive their expulsion. On the island he imagines an ideal society.

GratianoMedium

ClueBassanio's companion who marries Nerissa

ExplanationHe accompanies the courtship at Belmont. Like his friend, he gives away a wedding ring in gratitude.

GrumioHard

CluePetruchio's servant whose name begins Gr in the Padua comedy

ExplanationHe accompanies his master from Verona. His exchanges with other servants add physical and verbal comedy.

HalMedium

ClueShort name of the Prince of Wales who befriends Falstaff

ExplanationHe moves between court and tavern. At Shrewsbury he saves his father and defeats Hotspur.

HamletEasy

ClueDanish prince who stages a play to test his uncle's guilt

ExplanationHe delays revenge for his father's murder. His final duel with Laertes turns deadly.

HandkerchiefMedium

ClueEmbroidered cloth used as false evidence against Desdemona

ExplanationIt passes through several hands after being lost. Its apparent significance depends on the villain's invented story.

HarfleurMedium

ClueFrench town besieged before Agincourt in Henry V

ExplanationThe king urges his soldiers to renew the assault. Its governor eventually surrenders the town.

HastingsMedium

ClueLord executed after trusting Richard's political intentions

ExplanationHis confidence fails at the council meeting. The sudden order of death reveals the danger of court politics.

HecateHard

ClueGoddess who rebukes the witches in Macbeth

ExplanationShe objects to being left out of their dealings with the king. Her scene adds another supernatural voice.

HelenaMedium

ClueFriend of Hermia who loves Demetrius

ExplanationShe reveals the escape plan to her preferred suitor. Magic later makes both young men pursue her.

HermiaMedium

ClueYoung woman who flees Athens with Lysander

ExplanationHer father favors another suitor. Flight into the woods exposes both lovers to fairy interference.

HermioneMedium

ClueQueen of Sicilia accused of infidelity by her husband

ExplanationThe oracle declares her innocent. The final scene presents her in the form of a statue that comes to life.

HeroMedium

ClueLeonato's daughter, falsely accused at her wedding

ExplanationA staged nighttime scene deceives her intended husband. Concealing her survival makes reconciliation possible.

HippolytaMedium

ClueAmazon queen engaged to the Duke of Athens

ExplanationHer marriage frames the woodland comedy. She later watches the craftsmen's play with the court.

HoratioEasy

ClueFriend who survives to tell the Danish prince's story

ExplanationHe also sees the dead king's ghost. The dying prince asks him to explain what happened.

HortensioHard

ClueBianca's suitor who disguises himself as the teacher Litio

ExplanationHis tutoring disguise competes with another suitor's. He eventually chooses a widow instead.

HotspurMedium

ClueNickname of the rebellious Henry Percy

ExplanationHis military reputation contrasts with the prince's idle image. The two meet in combat at Shrewsbury.

IachimoHard

ClueItalian who falsely claims to have seduced Imogen

ExplanationHe gathers private details by hiding in her bedroom. Those details give his invented story apparent credibility.

IagoEasy

ClueEnsign who engineers the downfall of a Venetian general

ExplanationHe turns ordinary events into supposed evidence of betrayal. His wife eventually exposes the fraud.

IllyriaMedium

ClueCoastal setting where Viola serves Orsino

ExplanationA shipwreck brings separated twins into this world. Their similar appearance drives the mistaken courtships.

ImogenMedium

ClueBritish princess who takes the disguise Fidele

ExplanationA false report turns her husband against her. Her flight brings her unknowingly to her lost brothers.

IrasHard

ClueCleopatra's attendant whose four-letter name begins I

ExplanationShe accompanies the queen through the final preparations. She dies in the scene of the queen's suicide.

IsabellaMedium

ClueNovice who pleads for her condemned brother Claudio

ExplanationShe rejects the deputy's demand. The disguised duke helps arrange the counterplot.

JaquesMedium

ClueMelancholy lord who describes life's seven ages

ExplanationHe lives among the exiled duke's followers. His reflections offer a skeptical counterpoint to the weddings.

JessicaMedium

ClueShylock's daughter, who leaves home with Lorenzo

ExplanationHer elopement takes her away from her father's household. She later joins the lovers at Belmont.

JulietEasy

ClueCapulet daughter who takes a sleeping potion before her wedding

ExplanationShe secretly marries the son of a rival house. The potion is meant to avoid a second marriage.

KatherineMedium

ClueBaptista's elder daughter, courted by Petruchio

ExplanationHer marriage precedes her sister's. The final wager centers on the married women's responses to a summons.

KentMedium

ClueLoyal earl who serves Lear under a disguise after banishment

ExplanationHe defends the youngest daughter before being expelled. He returns as a servant to help the king.

LaertesMedium

ClueOphelia's brother, who fights with a poisoned rapier

ExplanationHe returns after his father's death. Before dying, he reveals the plot behind the duel.

LearEasy

ClueKing who asks his three daughters to declare their love

ExplanationHe divides his kingdom and rejects the daughter who will not flatter him. Loss drives him into a storm.

LennoxHard

ClueScottish nobleman with a name beginning L in Macbeth

ExplanationHis comments become increasingly skeptical of the king. He is among the nobles opposing the tyrant.

LeonatoMedium

ClueGovernor of Messina and father of Hero

ExplanationHe hosts the visiting soldiers. The attack on his daughter's reputation threatens his household's honor.

LeontesMedium

ClueKing of Sicilia whose jealousy destroys his family

ExplanationHe accuses his wife without sound evidence. Repentance and the return of his lost daughter shape the ending.

LepidusHard

ClueThird Roman triumvir beside Antony and Octavius

ExplanationThe alliance is unstable despite its shared opponents. He is later displaced as the struggle narrows to two rivals.

LorenzoMedium

ClueYoung man who elopes with Jessica

ExplanationHe and his beloved escape from Venice. Their conversation opens the final scene at Belmont.

LucentioMedium

ClueYoung suitor disguised as the teacher Cambio

ExplanationHe uses tutoring to court the younger daughter. His servant takes his place during the disguise.

LucioHard

ClueClaudio's friend who spreads false stories about the duke

ExplanationHe unknowingly insults the ruler to his disguised face. At the end he is ordered to marry Kate Keepdown.

LysanderMedium

ClueHermia's chosen lover, briefly enchanted to love Helena

ExplanationHe plans to escape the marriage imposed on his beloved. The love spell temporarily disrupts that plan.

MacbethEasy

ClueScottish thane who murders Duncan to gain the crown

ExplanationProphecies and ambition lead him into murder. Macduff defeats him at the end.

MacduffMedium

ClueScottish nobleman who defeats the murderous king

ExplanationHe joins Malcolm against the tyrant. His birth by surgery defeats the king's confidence in a prophecy.

MalcolmMedium

ClueDuncan's elder son, who becomes king after the tyrant falls

ExplanationHe flees to England after his father's murder. He returns with forces to reclaim Scotland.

MalvolioMedium

ClueSteward tricked into wearing yellow stockings

ExplanationA forged letter persuades him that his mistress loves him. The prank grows into a cruel confinement.

MariaMedium

ClueWaiting-gentlewoman who writes the forged letter to the steward

ExplanationShe imitates her mistress's handwriting. Her practical joke exploits the steward's ambition.

MarianaMedium

ClueAngelo's rejected betrothed, who takes Isabella's place

ExplanationHer substitution is central to the bed trick. The duke later requires the deputy to marry her.

MercutioMedium

ClueRomeo's friend who gives the Queen Mab speech

ExplanationHe is related to the Prince of Verona. His fatal duel changes the comedy of courtship into tragedy.

MessinaMedium

ClueSicilian city governed by Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing

ExplanationReturning soldiers become guests in the governor's household. Courtship and malicious gossip unfold during their stay.

MilanMedium

ClueItalian dukedom taken from Prospero by his brother

ExplanationThe former duke's exile leads to life on the island. His restoration is part of the final reconciliation.

MirandaEasy

ClueExiled magician's daughter, who falls in love with Ferdinand

ExplanationShe has grown up on the island. Her father's planned storm brings the prince into her life.

MontagueMedium

ClueFamily name of Juliet's secret husband

ExplanationIts feud with the Capulets divides Verona. The bereaved fathers finally agree to make peace.

MontanoHard

ClueFormer governor of Cyprus wounded in Cassio's drunken fight

ExplanationHe attempts to stop the disturbance. The incident helps cost the lieutenant his office.

MontjoyHard

ClueFrench herald who repeatedly visits Henry V

ExplanationHe delivers messages before and after the battle. His final visit acknowledges the English victory.

NaplesMedium

ClueKingdom ruled by Alonso in The Tempest

ExplanationIts royal party is returning from a wedding when the enchanted storm strikes. The prince later courts Miranda.

NerissaMedium

CluePortia's companion, who marries Gratiano

ExplanationShe joins the courtroom disguise as a clerk. She also tests her husband's loyalty through a ring.

NurseMedium

ClueJuliet's childhood caregiver and go-between

ExplanationShe helps arrange the secret marriage. Her later advice to marry Paris breaks the girl's trust.

NymHard

ClueThree-letter name of a soldier accompanying Bardolph and Pistol

ExplanationHe belongs to the old tavern group. The campaign exposes the distance between their habits and royal discipline.

OberonEasy

ClueFairy king who orders the use of a love-inducing flower

ExplanationHis dispute with the fairy queen sets the magic in motion. He later undoes the spell on her.

OctaviaMedium

ClueOctavius Caesar's sister, married to Antony

ExplanationThe marriage is meant to strengthen an alliance. His return to Egypt undermines that political settlement.

OctaviusMedium

ClueCaesar's heir who joins Antony against Brutus

ExplanationHe becomes one of the three rulers after the assassination. His forces share in the victory at Philippi.

OliverMedium

ClueOrlando's elder brother, who later loves Celia

ExplanationHis early treatment of his brother is hostile. Rescue from a lioness helps transform his attitude.

OliviaMedium

ClueCountess who falls in love with the disguised Viola

ExplanationShe initially refuses Orsino's courtship. She eventually marries the heroine's twin brother.

OpheliaEasy

CluePolonius's daughter, who drowns in the Danish tragedy

ExplanationHer father and brother warn her about the prince. After her father's death, she loses her reason.

OrlandoMedium

ClueYoungest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, in love with Rosalind

ExplanationHe wins the wrestling match at court. In exile he hangs love verses on trees.

OrsinoMedium

ClueDuke whose messenger Cesario secretly loves him

ExplanationHe seeks the countess's affection through an intermediary. Recognition of the disguise changes his choice of partner.

OsricHard

ClueCourtier who brings the invitation to the final fencing match in Hamlet

ExplanationHe presents the king's proposed wager. The contest is part of a concealed murder plot.

OswaldHard

ClueGoneril's steward, killed by Edgar in King Lear

ExplanationHe carries messages for his mistress. His attempt to kill the blinded earl ends in his own death.

OthelloEasy

ClueVenetian general deceived into suspecting Desdemona

ExplanationHe trusts a false friend over his wife. The deception ends in her murder and his own death.

PaduaMedium

ClueItalian city where Baptista's daughters are courted

ExplanationTutoring disguises let suitors enter the household. The marriage rule for the elder sister drives the plot.

ParisMedium

ClueCount chosen by Juliet's parents as her husband

ExplanationHe believes he is preparing a legitimate marriage. He later encounters her true husband at the tomb.

PaulinaMedium

ClueLady who confronts Leontes and unveils Hermione's statue

ExplanationShe defends the accused queen. She supervises the final scene of recognition and reunion.

PerditaMedium

ClueLost daughter of the Sicilian royal couple

ExplanationA shepherd raises her in Bohemia. Her courtship leads to the discovery of her royal identity.

PetoHard

ClueFour-letter name of another tavern companion in Henry IV, Part 1

ExplanationHe joins the robbery with the knight's associates. The incident supplies material for the later tavern comedy.

PetruchioMedium

ClueSuitor who marries Baptista's elder daughter

ExplanationHe arrives in Padua seeking a wealthy marriage. His behavior drives the play's disputed account of marital authority.

PhoebeMedium

ClueShepherdess who falls for the disguised Ganymede

ExplanationShe dismisses her devoted shepherd. The heroine's true identity changes the terms of her choice.

PisanioHard

ClueServant who refuses to kill Imogen on his master's orders

ExplanationHe helps the princess escape in disguise. His loyalty resists the consequences of false evidence.

PistolHard

ClueBragging soldier with a firearm name in Henry V

ExplanationHe comes from the former prince's tavern circle. His boasting contrasts with the demands of war.

PoinsHard

ClueTavern friend who helps Hal trick Falstaff after a robbery

ExplanationHe and the prince rob the robbers. The plan reveals the knight's extravagant lies afterward.

PolixenesMedium

ClueKing of Bohemia wrongly suspected by Leontes

ExplanationHe escapes Sicilia with help from Camillo. His son later falls in love with the lost princess.

PoloniusMedium

ClueOphelia's father, killed while hiding behind a tapestry

ExplanationHe serves as a royal counselor. His spying ends when the prince mistakes him for the king.

PortiaEasy

ClueBelmont heiress who argues the case against Shylock

ExplanationShe enters court disguised as a lawyer. A test involving wedding rings later exposes her husband's conduct.

ProsperoEasy

ClueExiled duke whose magic controls the island in The Tempest

ExplanationHis brother usurped Milan. He eventually abandons magic and prepares to return home.

PuckEasy

ClueMischievous spirit also known as Robin Goodfellow

ExplanationHe applies the love charm to the wrong young man. His mistakes complicate the woodland courtships.

QuinceHard

ClueCarpenter who organizes the craftsmen's Pyramus and Thisbe play

ExplanationHe assigns the roles and rehearses the group. He also delivers the performance's prologue.

ReganMedium

ClueLear's middle daughter, wife of Cornwall

ExplanationShe joins her elder sister against their father. Her household also becomes a site of brutal violence.

ReynaldoHard

ClueServant sent to check on Laertes in Paris

ExplanationPolonius tells him to question acquaintances. The errand shows the father's habit of indirect spying.

RichmondMedium

ClueEarl who defeats Richard III at Bosworth

ExplanationHe becomes Henry VII. His promised marriage is presented as a reconciliation of rival houses.

RoderigoMedium

ClueSuitor whom Iago repeatedly exploits for money

ExplanationHe wants Desdemona and follows the ensign's advice. He is drawn into the attack on Cassio.

RomeEasy

ClueCity whose senators conspire against Caesar

ExplanationThe play moves from urban politics to civil war. The assassination occurs at a meeting of the Senate.

RomeoEasy

ClueMontague son who secretly marries a Capulet daughter

ExplanationHe is banished after killing Tybalt. False news leads him to buy poison.

RosalindEasy

ClueDuke Senior's daughter, disguised as Ganymede

ExplanationShe leaves court with her cousin. In the forest she uses the disguise to test her lover's devotion.

RossHard

ClueScottish messenger who tells Macduff of his family's deaths

ExplanationHe carries news between the play's households and armies. His report makes the cost of tyranny personal.

ScotlandEasy

ClueKingdom where Duncan is murdered and Malcolm later rules

ExplanationThe play links royal power with betrayal and prophecy. English help supports the campaign against the usurper.

SebastianMedium

ClueViola's twin brother, mistaken for Cesario

ExplanationHe survives the same shipwreck as his sister. His arrival explains the apparently impossible encounters.

ShylockEasy

ClueMoneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh

ExplanationHis contract becomes the central courtroom dispute. The judgment strips him of his intended revenge.

SiciliaMedium

ClueLeontes's kingdom in The Winter's Tale

ExplanationThe queen's trial takes place here. The lost daughter's later return allows the separated family to reunite.

SilviusMedium

ClueShepherd devoted to Phoebe in As You Like It

ExplanationHis beloved initially favors the disguised heroine. A promise eventually secures their marriage.

SkullEasy

ClueBone from Yorick's head that Hamlet holds in the graveyard

ExplanationThe prince recalls the dead jester's jokes. The object turns familiar memories toward the inevitability of death.

SnoutHard

ClueTinker who portrays the wall between Pyramus and Thisbe

ExplanationThe lovers communicate through his fingers. The literal human wall contributes to the performance's comedy.

SnugHard

ClueJoiner assigned the lion's role in the craftsmen's play

ExplanationHe worries about learning lines. The performers also worry that the lion might frighten their audience.

StephanoMedium

ClueDrunken butler whom Caliban wants to make ruler

ExplanationHe mistakes the island plot for a path to power. Fine clothing distracts him from the planned attack.

SycoraxHard

ClueCaliban's mother, the witch who imprisoned Ariel

ExplanationShe is dead before the action begins. Prospero recounts her earlier control over the island.

TheseusMedium

ClueDuke of Athens who marries Hippolyta

ExplanationHe judges Hermia's family dispute. The craftsmen perform their tragedy at his wedding celebrations.

TitaniaEasy

ClueFairy queen enchanted into loving an ass-headed weaver

ExplanationShe quarrels with her husband over a child. A flower's juice changes whom she adores.

Toby BelchMedium

ClueOlivia's drinking kinsman in Twelfth Night, without the title Sir

ExplanationHe encourages the household's revels. He also participates in the scheme against the steward.

TouchstoneMedium

ClueCourt fool who accompanies the cousins into Arden

ExplanationHe debates country life and courtly manners. His own courtship ends in marriage to Audrey.

TranioHard

ClueServant who impersonates Lucentio during his master's courtship

ExplanationHe negotiates as if he were the wealthy suitor. The arrival of the real father threatens the deception.

TrinculoMedium

ClueJester who joins the island conspiracy in The Tempest

ExplanationHe takes shelter beside Caliban during a storm. He then joins the drunken butler's scheme.

TubalHard

ClueFellow moneylender who brings Shylock news of Jessica

ExplanationHis reports alternate between the daughter's spending and the merchant's losses. They intensify the father's anger.

TybaltMedium

ClueJuliet's cousin who kills Mercutio

ExplanationHe recognizes a Montague at the Capulet feast. His death leads to the young lover's banishment.

VeniceEasy

ClueItalian city where Antonio signs Shylock's bond

ExplanationIts commercial world contrasts with the heiress's estate. The duke presides over the central trial.

VergesHard

ClueDogberry's partner in the Messina watch

ExplanationHe assists the constable's civic duties. Their comic scenes help bring the villains' scheme to light.

VeronaEasy

ClueItalian city divided by the Montague-Capulet feud

ExplanationThe prince tries to restrain street violence. The lovers' deaths finally bring the rival fathers together.

ViolaMedium

ClueShipwrecked heroine who disguises herself as Cesario

ExplanationShe serves the duke while falling in love with him. Her missing twin helps unravel the mistaken identities.

YorickMedium

ClueDead jester whose skull Hamlet recognizes

ExplanationThe prince remembers being carried on his back as a child. The skull prompts thoughts about mortality.